Control desk



Patented Feb. 5, 1946 1 UNITED- 1 I PATENT 1 OFF! ca oon'moL DESK. James PQH'oucIr, Pittsburghj glag j assignor" to' Westinghouse Eleetric Corporation, East Pittsburgl'nPa a; corporation ofPennsylvania melanomas. 'a'z, 1943,;SeriaLNo. 4.88,,788-

' (c1. s5 r2) My invention relates, generallmto control desks and, more particularly,to diesksof atype: suitable for use:- in thecontrol roomsrofairportsu It is customary toprovide airport controltdesksi with a panel containing: a. facsimile map showing. the location of the airport'runwaysr These pan:- els have either'been made: of aphenolic material having the runway layout inlaid therein or ofan;

anodizedaluminumplate. The. runway. layoutis photographed on theplate; and is. permanently v fixed during the anodizing process; In either case any subsequent. revisions. of layout require new panels which are diffi'cult and; expensive to."

manufacture. Thus, considerable: expense is involved insupplying new maps becauseaofithaexe pansion and changes which usually take place'iin' airfield's'.

An object of my invention, generally statedjis fully hereinafter or will be: apparent to those.

skilled in the art.v

In accordance with. one embodiment ofmy in.-

vention, the. panel containing. thefacsimile mapw for an airport control. desk includes a top: section of transparent materiaha middle-section contain--.

ing the runway layout and a bottom.section orback-up plate on which illuminating equipment: is mounted.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of my invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a View, in perspective, of an airport control desk embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, in plan, of the facsimile map provided on the desk illustrated in Fig.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, partially in section and partially in elevation, showing a cross section of the facsimile map and an elevation of a lamp receptacle and supporting means;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view, in elevation, of a lens provided for the illuminating lamp, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view, in plan, of the lamp receptacle supporting means.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly taFig. l', th e:contr.olidesk shown therein is'similar innsome respectsato: the usual office desk and is.

preferably composed-10f steel or other suitable material; section It which is provided. with a centrally disposed levelisurface- H'upon which an airport op- .erator may keep hislog book and perform-other clerical: duties; .A space I2- is. provided underneath the-surface: .H for the knees of theoperator and a drawer -l=31oftheusual desk type is disposed above theaspace i2; and underneath. the

surface I; I-

Asuper'structure i4 isprovided on top ofthe base section: [.0 and comprises asloping section- I55. disposed ateach side of thelevel surface H,

andan. upright. instrument panel l6 whichv -isdisposedon-top .of therbase section at the rearof the workspaceH- I I The inclined surfaces of: the sloping sections l5 areprovidedw-i-th. openings which are covered by removable cover plates 11 on which are mounted a-plu-rality; of control devices; suchas switches I58: for controlling the airport lighting circuits.

and; pilot; indicating lights I9; It will be noted that spaceisavailable: on certain of" the plates IT for "the installations of additional control devices... thereby? providing for additional. equipment which may be installed at'any time afterthe deskhasbeen put inv service by simply removing theplates: i1 and drilling the necessary holes for the control device.

A. fieldplamor facsimile: map 2 I, which. will be describedmore fully hereinafter, is also provided on the-left-hand sloping section I 5; Thefield plan- 21: shows in miniature, the airport runways 2-2:..1, The. locationiof. thetaxi strips, buildings, etc:. may alse be shownon the field plan2 I. A

symbol 23, which indicates the compass points,

is also provided on the field plan 2|.

The usual airport instruments 24, such as a wind direction indicator, a wind velocity indicator, an altimeter, a thermometer and a clock may be mounted on the upright panel [6 as.

shown in Fig. 1. A desk lamp 25 may also be provided on the panel l6.

As explained hereinbefore, it is frequently nee- As. shown, the desk comprises a base 1 26 composed of a transparent material, such as plasticor glass, 2. bottom plate 21 composed of non-transparent material, preferably sheet steel,

28 may be composed of a'relatively thinmatetened together by screws or bolts 29 which-may also servelto hold the complete map panel in 1 position on the sloping section I51 fl f it is desired 1 to change the map, the two sections may be dis- .mantled'and a new miniature layout installed-.1 1 If photographic film, paper, or cloth is utilized"; a new sheet containing the revised layout may be provided; -I f the layout is painted on one of the V 1 surfaces; the paint may be removed; or anew f plate having the revised layout-painted thereon 3 maybe provided. Since both'pla'stic and steel 1 are relatively inexpensive, the provision of a new i plate-' composedof either'of these materials will nct nvmye m great expense.

1 The bottom'section or plate 21 functions as a i back-up plate for supporting the top plate 26 and 1 3 also as a mounting plate: for supportingxa plu-' rality' of lights3l 'which'indicate the operation Z and location of the various lights located onthe' f 1 runways on the airfield. As shown 'in Fig. 3, j the'plate flis provided with holes 32in which a r the lights 3'l 'ar mounted. Each light 3| isdisposed in'a receptacle 33 whichrnay be of the type 3 utilized on telephone switchboards and is remov- 1 ably attached to 'thebottom plate 21.

' V Thef'receptacle 33 is supported by meansofa cylindricalsleeve 34havi 'ng a pair of oppositely disposed cars 35, as shown in'Fig. 5. The ears as are provided with holes 36 for receiving mount:- 1 ing 'screws" 31 for attaching the sleeve 34 to the pIate ZT. A slot 38 is providedin one side of f the sleeve 5 34, thereby permitting the sleeve to 1 spring open slightly to receive the receptacle 33. In this manner the'receptacle 33 is retained in a thesleeve 34- by friction. In case it is neces- I sary tq replace the light bulb, the receptacle 33 i may be removed from the plate 21 without re 1 moving the screws 3'l'and the sleeve 34;

of the indicating lights, the plate 21 may be readily redrilled topermitthelights to be mounted in their new location.

with a middle section 28' interposed between the 'top and the bottom sections andlcontaining the runway layout in miniature. The middle section rial such as photographic film, paper-or cloth 1 containing; the frunway'layout, .or' the; runway j layout may be painted on the bottom surface of a V j the top plate 26 or on the'top surface ofthe bot,- 1

1 tom plate 21'. j V V The two'plates 26 and 21 may be securely fas From the foregoing descriptionit is apparent that I have provided a facsimile map whichmay be originally manufactured at a, relatively low inns-scribed is pleasing in appearance when a modern transparent plastic is utilized for the top section and is particularly suitable for use on airport control desks since the plastic does not crack orbreak. a v I Since numerous changes 'may bemade in the above described; construction and'different emt bodiinents of theinvention' may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is 1. A facsimile'mapifor'a 'contro'ltde'sk' for an airport having runway lights'com'prising, a top plate of transparent material, a" bottom plate of non-transparent material underlying a the top plate,i.a' runway "layout "painted on one ofv the adjacent surfaces of? said plates and visible through the top .plate, said bottom plate having holes therein at predetermined locations on the 'runway layout, and pilot lights disposed in said hol'esjto indicate theilocation*and'operation of v the airportrunwaylights. I

' topplate, said bottom plate having holes therein A colored lens 39 may be provided-forcovering "theilight' 3l'.f' "As' shown in 4 the lens '39 yis prov'ided with a plurality of spring members 7 40 wh'ich 'may' be inserted inside'of the receptacle 33 t6 retain the-lens 39 in position; In the event 1 that it is necessary'to change the location of any 3 2. A facsimile map for a control desk for an airporthaving runway'lights comprising, a. top

plate of. transparent material, a "bottom plate.

of non-transparent material underlying the top plate, a runway layoutpainted on the bottom surface of the'top'plate andvisible through the top plate, said bottomplate having holes therein at predetermined locations on the runway layout, 1 J

and pilotlights disposed in said holes to indicate 'the'location and operation of the airport runway lights. 7 a 1 3.'A' facsimile map for a control de'skfor an .plate, a runway layout painted on the" top'surface of the bottom plate and visible through the at predetermined locations on the runway layout,

' and-pilot lights disposedin said holes to indicate location'a'nd(operation-0f the airport'i-un V JAMES P.

. 2 r 7 2,394,062" r r p 

